Research during the next budget year will be concentrated on biogenetically modelled syntheses of polycyclic, phenolic natural products. One phase of this research will be the development of new synthetic approaches to poly-beta-carbonyl compounds. Of particular interest are convergent processes in which bis acylating agents are condensed with anions of di- and tricarbonyl compounds. The second phase of this program is the controlled cyclization of polycarbonyl compounds. Efforts in this area will center on (1) the use of the protective groups to block some cyclizations while simultaneously promoting others and (2) the use of substituents which will stabilize certain conformers of the polycarbonyl compounds and, in so doing, direct the cyclizations to specific products. Pretetramid is the most important goal of these synthetic efforts.